Pressure relief valve



July 14, 1935- w. J. GR|ssETT PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE Filed April 1B, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 14, 1936- w. J. GRlssETT PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE Filed April 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oI-FlcEy 2,047,581 PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE William .1. Grissett, Texon, Tex.

Application April 18,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a valve designed to automatically release excess pressure under various conditions, for instance in oil and gas separators, oil and gas wells, gas lines and the like, to

act as back pressure valves on cil and gas wellsv and separators, without freezing as do the spring and lever type actuated valves.

It is also aimed to provide such a construction wherein in changing the control from the high pressure side to the low pressure side, the device will serve as a regulator valve for high pressure air and gas systems, where the pressure is to be stepped down or lowered.

Itis also aimed to provide a novel outside power control initiated by the .internal power so as to overcome the objections noted as well as the other objections well known to the present devices used in the art.

The more specific objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawings:-

Figure l is a view showing the apparatus primarily in central longitudinal section;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the pressure gauge; I

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail partly in section through the leak valve of the pressure gauge; and

Figure 5 is a detail fragmentary elevation of the parts controlling the leak valve operation.

Referring specically to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts, III designates a pipe in communication with an oil and gas separator, a gas or oil well, gas lines or the like wherein excessive or dangerous pressure may occur, and pipe IIl is connected with a coupling or valve chamber Il from which a relief pipe I2 leads to the atmosphere-such pipe I2 having a valve seat I3 at its inner end forming a reducing nipple as shown. Said seat I3 is normally engaged by a valve head I4, thus cutting off escape of material from the pipe III through the pipe II to the atmosphere. Said valve head I4 is adapted to be displaced to uncover the port I3 upon the occurrence of excessive and dangerous pressures.

Said valve I4 is carried by a stem I5 slidably mounted in a conduit or casing I5 screwed at I1 into the casing II, such part or barrel I 5 having a stuiling box at I8 about said stem I5. A bulged plate I9 is screwed at 20 to the barrel I 6 1935, Serial No. 17,111.8`

and coacting with the plate I9 is a bulged plate 2|. .A flexible diaphragm 22 is disposed and fastened air-tight between the plates I9 and 2i by means of bolts 23 or the equivalent. Said stem I5 is tightly connected to said diaphragm 22 at 5 24 in any suitable manner. Surrounding the stem I5 is a coil spring 25 which at opposite ends abuts disks 25 loosely disposed on the rod I5, and one of them abutting a shoulder 21 on such rod. Interiorly of the barrel I6 it is provided with 10 abutments 28 and 29, respectively engageable by the disks 26.

A pressure gauge is shown at 30 which includes Aa Bourdon tube 3I in communication with a conduit 32 connected to the coupling II and thus 15 communicating with the interior of the coupling II. Preferably a cut-off valve 33 is connected in the conduit 32. Said Bourdon tube 3| has a link 32a pivoted thereto at 33" which is adjustably connected at 34 to a segment 35, pivoted at 3G to a mounting plate or bracket 31 fastened as at 38 to the upper end of the conduit 32. Segment 35 has gear teeth at 39 and they are enmeshed at 40 with the gear teeth 4I on a spindle 42 to which a hand 44 is rigid, so that the hand may be moved about the gauge to register pressure. An arm or segment 45 is also pivoted to the bracket 31 by the bolt 36 and it has an arm 46 in one end of which a flexible or slightly flexible conduit 41, for instance, of copper, is fastened, such end being open and normally closed by a valve lever 48 pivoted at 49 to a bracket 50, which has said pipe 41' fastened. Said valve lever 48 has a pad 52 which may be of rubber or the like and engages and normally closes the end'of pipe 41 adjacent thereto under the expansive action or urgency of a coil spring 53.

The segment 35 has an arm 54 thereon which is adapted to contact the lever valve 48 and move it away from the adjacent end of the conduit 41', permitting the latter to bleed, and through means now to be specifically described, enable the valve I4 to slide to the left in Figure 1, uncover the port I3 and permit excessv pressure to escape from vthe pipe II), through the chamber II, nipple I3 and pipe I2 to the atmosphere. 'Ihe position of the valve 48 may be varied through the turning of a screw 55, threaded in the casing of the gauge at 56, the threads of the screw contacting with worm teeth 51 on an arm 53 depending from the segment 45, it being understood that the pipe 41' moves with the arm 46 and bracket 50 a slight extent necessary for operation. Teeth 59 are provided on the segment 45 and they are in mesh with a pinion 50 keyed to a shaft 5I to which an indicator arm l2 is fastened. Arm 42 isthus movable to accord with any variation in the'poeition oi' the valve device 4I and it indicates at what pressure the arm 54 will contact and open the valve 4I, thus governing the pressure at which the valve i4 may open. Suitable expansive springs Il and 44 are associated with the lever or segment 35 and the shaft of the indicator arm 44.

Fluid pressure from any suitable source additional and extraneous to that which may bepresent in pipe I0, is supplied through a pipe or conduit 65, from which the aforesaid pipe 41 branches, at a coupling 68, and from the coupling 66, a pipe or conduit B1 leading to a suitable chamber 88 in which a diaphragm 891s secured marginly tight and urged downwardly by an expansive spiral spring 10, adjustable as to tension through the manipulation of a screw 1 i. Depending from the chamber 68 is a pipe 12 having a coupling 13 fastened thereto and from which a short pipe 14, leads through the plate 2l so as to communicate with the space or chamber at the left hand side of the diaphragm 22.

Fluid under pressure from the same source as that which supplies the pipe 65, is supplied through a pipe 15 leading to the interior of the coupling 13 in which and in the pipe 12, a valve rod 11 is slidable, being suitably connected at 18 to the diaphragm 69, and accordingly operable by the diaphragm. When the valve is opened, a seat 19 on the rod 11 closes the pipe 15 and opens a seat 80 at the lower end of pipe 12, while an enlarged portion 8| of the rod 11 is raised above the entrance to an exhaust line 82.

Normally the valve I4 engages the seat i3, the pressure in the pipe i0 being insumcient to displace such valve i4. Valve i4 will normally be maintained in closed position as the seat 19 is opened due to pressure fluid from pipe 61 entering the chamber 68 and pressure iluid passing through pipe 15 and pipe 14 against the left hand side of diaphragm 22, moving the same to the right in Figure 1. Pressure iiuid is also in the branch 41. Should excessive pressure be developed in the pipe i0, a portion will pass through the conduit 32 into the Bourdon tube 3i, expanding the same, moving the link 32, swinging segment 35 and causing arm 54 to contact the valve lever 48, thus uncovering the adjacent end of the pipe 41', permitting the excess pressure to bleed therefrom escaping by way of pipes 41 and 61. 'I'his reduction in pressure affects pipe 61 so that the spring 10 urges the diaphragm 69 downwardly as well as rod 11, closing the inlet 19, and uncovering outlet 80 permitting the pressure to the left of the diaphragm 22 to escape through the pipe 14, chamber 13, pipe 12 and exhaust pipe 82.

It will be realized that in both positions of the spring 2l it is partly compressed so that the tension will aid in opening the valve i4 and also in closing the valve i4 as the case may be.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:-

1. A device of the class described, comprising a Bourdon tube, a bleeder pipe, an arm to which the bleeder pipe is connected, a valve on said arm normally closing said bleeder pipe, a. lever, means operable by the expansion of said tube to operate said lever, an arm on the lever to abut and open said valve, means operable to position the lastmentioned arm, an indicator in geared connection with the last-mentioned arm, a worm thread on the last-mentioned arm, and a screw operably meshing with said thread.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a casing, a Bourdon tube therein, a bleeder pipe, an arm in said casing to which the bleeder pipe is connected, means operable to vary the position of the arm relatively to the casing, a. valve on said arm. normally closing said bleeder pipe, a lever,

means operable by the expansion of said tube to u operate said lever, and an arm on the lever to abut and open said valve.

3. A device cf the class described, comprising a Bourdon tube, ableeder pipe,a conduit'frorn which the Bourdon tube extends, a bracket on said conduit, a lever pivotally mounted on said bracket having an arm to which the bleeder pipe is connected, means operable to adJust said lever, a valve on said arm normally closing said bleeder pipe, a lever pivoted to the bracket on the same axis as the rst-mentioned lever, a link means operable by the expansion of said tube to operate the second-mentionedlever, an arm on the second-mentioned lever to abut and open said valve, and an indicator means operable through movement of the second-mentioned lever.

4. A device oi' the class described, comprising a Bourdon tube, a bleeder pipe, a conduit from which the Bourdon tube extends, a bracket on said conduit, an adjustable lever pivotally mounted on said bracket having an armto which the bleeder pipe is connected, a valve on said arm normally closing said bleeder pipe, a lever pivoted to the bracket on the same axis as the first-mentioned lever, a link means operable by the expansion of said tube to operate the second-mentioned lever, an arm on the second-mentioned lever to abut and open said valve, an indicator means operable through movement of the secondmentioned lever, the means on the first-mentioned lever provided with a worm thread, and a screw operablymeshing with said worm thread.

WILLIAM J. GRISSE'I'I. 

